2020 Betty Bowen Award

The Seattle Art Museum is accepting entries for the 43rd Annual Betty Bowen Award, which honors a Northwest artist for their original, exceptional, and compelling work. The award is open to visual artists in all media working in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho. Artists of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

The winner receives an unrestricted cash prize of $15,000 and a selection of their work will be exhibited at the Seattle Art Museum in spring 2021. Up to two Special Recognition Awards of $2,500 may also be granted at the discretion of the Betty Bowen Committee. Finalists selected in the first round of judging are invited to present their work in person and receive a $500 honorarium for related expenses.

Applicants must submit a resume, artist statement, and six images of their work online by 11:00 PM PST on August 1, 2020. Each image submission must include title, date, medium, dimensions, and a brief description. Artists working in performance, film, or video must upload six stills and submit no more than three downloadable video files via Dropbox, Google Drive, Vimeo, or WeTransfer to [email protected]. Selection is based on the compelling nature of the artist's ideas, quality and creativity of work, commitment to developing their practice, and the impact the award will have on the artist's career. Late applications will not be accepted. Entry fee is $10.